Apparatus for endothermic catalytic reactions



Jan. 1%,! 1933. (a. WlETZEL ET AL.

APPARATUS FOR ENDOTHERMIC CATALYTIC REACTIONS Filed Dec. 9, 1929 Fig.1.

A @l \L L 7 kzzi/f/fz IT. K f Fl #1! z W a X. \A fifzzzzz T K 7 Fig.2.

OVMO FO OM Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KANNHEIH, GERMANY, ASSIGNOBB '10 SCHAIT, OI- FRANKFORT-ON-TEE-MAIN,

I. G. FABBENINDUSTBIE AKTIENGESELL GERMANY APPARATUS FOR ENDO'I'EERMIC CATALYTIC REACTIONS Application filed. December 9, 1929, Serial no.

The present invention relates to an a paratus for carrying out endothermic cata yt1c reactions.

Generally speaking endothermic catalytic reactions have hitherto been carried out 1n a periodic manner with the employment of heat accumulators. In many cases however a continuous manner of workin is preferable, for example by heating t e reaction chamber externally. This manner of working is em loyed es ecially for gas reactions for which eat-con ucting catalysts are used; in this case the transference of heat from the Wallsof the reaction chamber to the gas to be converted is better than in cases in which the chambers are not filled with catalysts of this nature. The heating of the reaction chamber ma be advantageously effected by means of ring gases. ince however it is difficult to heat a large chamber externally so that a sufiicientl rapid replacement of the heat used u in t e interior takes lace, the chamber is su divided into a numer of tubes or chambers or the like. Even in this case however the amount of heat transferred from the heating gases to the walls of the reaction chamber and to the interior thereof is generally speaking still too small, since the transference of heat takes place mainly by convection.

We have now found that the transference of heat when carryin out endothermic catalytic reactions takes p ace very satlsfactorily when care is taken that the heating of the reaction chamber is efiected exclusively or mainly by heat radiation. This may be advantageously attained by carrying out the heating of the reaction vessel by means of heat radiating surfaces; these may be arranged on one or more sides outside the reaction vessel, if necessary, so that the chamber containing the catalyst is completely surrounded. In this manner a radiation of heat from the surfaces, which are heated by means of heatin gases or in some other manner, for example y an electric current, to the walls of the reaction chamber takes place. As heat radiatin surfaces of this kind may be mentioned, or example, the walls or crowns of the furnaces used for burning the heating 412,752, and in Germany December 11, 1928.

gases, which are constructed of fireproof ma-. tcrial and care is taken by appropriate leading of the heating gases and arrangement of the reaction vessel with respect to the walls of the furnace that the amount of heat radiated to the walls of the reaction chamber from the walls of the furnace is greater than the amount of heat transferred b the direct contact of the heating gases wit 1 the same. The walls of the furnace may be constructed as lattices in order to increase the heat radiating surface area. The efiiciency of these surfaces may be still further increased when materials are employed for their manufacture which have a high heat absorptive or heat emitting power, preferably those which in this respect approximate as closely as ossible to an absolutely black bod and w ich at the same time are stable to eat, for ex-.,

ample metals or metal oxides, in articular those of the iron group. The sur aces may be repared entirely or only partly of the sai materials, for example, they may be providedwith a coating of these materials.

The nature of the invention will be further described with reference to the accompany-.

ing drawing which shows in longitudinal section m Figure 1 and in cross-section m Figure 2 an arrangement of apparatus accor ing to this invention, but the invention is" not restricted to this arrangement.

'A furnace for heating 10 contact tubes R- consists of three cham rs K K and K about 0.5 meter in width, 2.5 meters in length and 3 meters in height. The central cham ber K serves as the combustion chamber for the heating gases which enter through an opening A. The upper part of the walls between the three chambers consists of latticelike brickwork. The heatin wards through the central chamber K heat the walls between the chambers and pass througl'i the brickwork lattice into the chambers K and K in each of which catal st tubes R are arranged in alignment. he heating gases flow ownwards in the chambers K and K next the said catalyst tubes R and flow out elowthrough passages B. The heat necessary for heating the catalyst tubes is partly transferred by the gases flowgases pass up ing ast them, but to the reater part is sup said heat emitting material of the furnace he by heat radiation mm the hot walls walls comprises an oxide of the iron group. tween the three chambers. In consequence In testimony whereof we have hereunto set of the fact that the catalyst tubes are arour hands. v 5 ran d in alignment, all the tubes are very GUSTAV WIETZEL. 77

uni ormly heated. GEORG SCHILLER.

This arrangement of apparatus may be advantageously employed or example for the catalytic conversion of methane and steam into carbon monoxide and hydrogen or for thermal decompositions of organic compounds, for example methane, which proceed endothermically.

The amount of heat which can be transfen-ed by heat radiation according to the present invention is in many cases a multiple of the quantity of heat which can be transferred mainly by convection even with the most satisfactory leading of the heating gases. The advantageous consequence of this 15 that in many cases considerably greater through use can be obtained through the reaction cfiamber than by the employment of the kinds of heating hitherto used; in many cases the industria conduction of strongly endothermic reactions, in particular gas reactions, is for the first time rendered remunerative by the process in accordance with the present invention. 1WhaAt we claimf is: doth p tea or carrying out en ermic catnfyfih reactions comprising a furnace two walls of heat resistant material and of a high'heat emitting power, said walls dividing said furnace mto three chambers, an opening in the middle chamber for leading into 881d chamber a combustible gas mixture, apertures in walls at the end oppodte to said opening and connecting said middle chamber with the two adjacent chambers, catalyst tubes passing through said adjacent chambers and passages through the outer walls of'said adjacent chambers at the end opposite to said apertures for leading 2. Apparatus for efiecting catalytic gas reactions comprising a furnace, a pair of spaced heat resisting, heat emitting vertical artitions having a greater extension in the ranged in said furnace, subdividing the same into inner and outer compartments, vertical catalyst tubes arranged in a row in the outer compartments, said mner compartment navone end thereof, said partitions having a plurality of apertures at the end opposite the end of the inner com artment having said 0 i 1' I whereby the ot gas formed in said partitions defimng the inner chamber, thence mto said outer chambers and alon the catalyst tubes and faces of said partitlons defining these chambers.

45 ofi the combustion gases. 1

horizontal direction than in the vertical arr ing an adit for a combustible gas adjacent 2 w inner a ber asses along the face of said An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein 

